Made in Great Britain – recommendations of quality products made in the British Isles – Made in the UK

The United Kingdom and in particular Sheffield, England is world famous for its steel products and contrary to popular belief many fine quality steel products are still manufactured in Sheffield. There is a wide choice of quality British made kitchen knives, cutlery, pocket knives and scissors available at reasonable prices. British made pocket knives, pen knives, folding knives, survival knives, bushcraft knives and safety knives, for example:

A.Wright and Son Limited – http://www.penknives-and-scissors.co.uk- make scissors, cutlery, kitchen knives, pen andpocket knives, hunting knives, sheath knives, British Army knives, ettrick knives, boating knives, throwing knives, commando knives, bowie knives, bushcraft and survival knives. Started in 1947, Arthur Wrights is a traditional Sheffield Pen and Pocket knife manufacturer. Everything is done in-house in Sheffield. The quality of their products is excellent and they are good value for money. I have an Arthur Wright 70W 70mm Farmers Sheepfoot Pocket Knife and it really is a sturdy no-nonsense knife and a fabulously useful tool. My 70W Farmers Sheepfoot weighs 80 grams (2.8 oz), has an overall blade length of 70mm (2.75″), a straight cutting edge of 63mm (2.48″) and an overall length of 158mm (6.25″). The Farmers Sheepfoot Pocket Knife is iconic and very much a traditional country knife.

Trevor Ablett pocket knives are available at The Famous Sheffield Shop. Trevor Ablett is one of the last of Sheffield’s ‘little mesters’, producing traditional pen and pocket knives in much the same way that they were being made 150 years ago. Trevor Ablett makes beautiful ettrick knives, stag handle knives, pruner knives, barlow knives, lambfoot knives and so on. I bought my friend a Trevor Ablett “New pattern” Lambfoot pocket knife and it is a thing of great beauty and function.

Taylor’s Eye Witness – http://taylors-eye-witness.co.uk- Taylor’s Eye Witness have been making knives for over 150 years in its Sheffield factory and continue to manufacture kitchen knives, scissors, sharpeners and pocket knives in Sheffield. However, it is just their “made in Sheffield” range that is made in the UK. The rest of their range is made abroad. Only those products stamped “Sheffield Made” are made in the UK, so please select carefully. Taylor’s Eye Witness pocket knives are still hand-made in Sheffield and come with a lifetime guarantee. They do a good range of penknives, farmer’s knives and stock knives and a range of limited edition knives. Taylor’s Eye Witness also have a variety of sharpening steels and sharpening devices in their “made in Sheffield” range, a range of British made kitchen knives, professional knives, and trade knives including colour coded knives and specialist tools, as well as a British made magnetic knife rack, British made scissors and shears, and their British made pocket knives. The Taylor’s Eye Witness company was called Harrison Fisher & Co Ltd up until 1st June 2007 when the company was re-named. Have a look at any search engine to buy or go to www.premiercutlery.co.uk. The Sheffield Eye Witness catalogue clearly states which knives are made in England – http://taylors-eye-witness.co.uk

Hector Russell traditional Scottish Sgian Dubh are made in Scotland. A Sgian Dubh is a small, single-edged knife and is often worn as part of traditional Scottish Highland dress along with the kilt. These should of course be made in Scotland and there may be other Sgian Dubh made in the UK. Some of their other products, like kilts and kilt pins, are also made in the UK – http://www.hector-russell.com

The Eggington Group – http://www.eggintongroup.co.uk- offers high quality Sheffield made knives and sharpening steels. Under the brand name Simply Sheffield make military knives (including the famous British Army Knife), safety locking knives and promotional knives. Whilst under the William Rogers name they made a commando knife (and presentation box). Under the George Wostenholm name they make pocket knives, bowie knives and trade knives. Under the Ibberson name they make yachting knives and kits, action knives, military knives, safety locking knives, trade knives and letter openers. Under the Joseph Rogers brand they make traditional pocket knives, smoker’s knives, letter openers, yachting knives and kits, military knives, British army pocket knives, safety locking knives, and letter openers. Under the Eggington brand they make sharpening steels, cook’s forks and butcher’s saws (and blades).

J.Adams Ltd (Sheffield Knives) is a family business which has been making knives for six generations. They are also the parent company for three other long established brands F.E. and J.R. Hopkinson Ltd, established 14 June 1944; John Nowill and Sons Ltd, whose corporate name was granted by the Cutlers Company of Hallamshire on 27 April 1700 and Austin McGillivray and Co -http://www.sheffieldknives.co.uk- They make hunting knives, throwing knives, bowie knives, commando knives, pocket knives, military knives, British Army pocket knives, Scottish knives, Scottish dirks, seamen’s knives, folding knives, clasp knives, safety knives, scrapers, crowbars, wrecking bars, punches, wedges, cold chisels, chandlers tools, rubber workers tools, painter’s knives, palette knives, kitchen knives, cook’s knives, butcher’s knives, trade knives, and scissors. They state on their website “we guarantee that all our knives are Sheffield made”.

STS (NORTH WALES) LTD sell the BLADE-TECH Knife Sharpenerwhich is made in the UK they tell me. They also sell some UK made pocket knives. Everything else they sell is made abroad I think. The Blade-Tech is a pocket-sized knife sharpener which can be used for scissors, kitchen knives, hunting knives, pen knives, garden tools including shears, loppers, pruners, mower blades and scythes. They get mixed reviews on the net, but I find this a very good product. They also sell the blade-tech sharpener and a selection of British made knives (along with foreign made products) on their Sporting Cutlery Website, where there is also an interesting article on UK knife carrying law.

Barber of Sheffield – trade only – makes or sells a range of surgical instruments, scalpel blades, needles, tattoo equipment and medical equipment but I am not sure how many, if indeed any, of their products are made in the UK. Likewise with Medezine Medical Saws- trade only – of Sheffield it is not clear from their website which, if any, of their products are made in the UK. B Braun (Aesculap) – trade only – is apparently the UK’s largest manufacturer of surgical instruments and is based in Sheffield. Can anyone tell me if any of these companies actually manufacture in the UK? Skidmore OEMtrade only – is a surgical Instrument manufacturer based in Sheffield and they say they are the largest UK’s premier OEM surgical instrument and Orthopaedic Implant manufacturer. They have a factory in Sheffield but I am not sure if all their products are made in the UK.

Granton Medical manufacture all their healthcare products in the UK, for example tuning forks, scalpels, disposable gloves, dental knives, palette knives and special needs cutlery. All their manufacturing takes place at their premises in Sheffield, England.

Founded in Sheffield in 1932, Swann-Morton (W.R.Swann & Co) manufacture surgical blades, scalpels and handles and craft knives in the UK. Some or possibly all of their products are made in the UK. Products are marked ‘Sheffield, England’ or ‘Made in England’ or ‘Made in Sheffield’ or ‘Manufactured in Sheffield, England’. They also own Jewel Blade, originally makers of razor blades, now making ‘stanley knife’ blades, hook ‘stanley’ blades, industrial craft blades, scraper blades, snap off blades, Derinder and Skinner food saw blades, and industrial razor blades; all made in Sheffield.

Clico (Sheffield) Tooling Ltd make cutting tools in the Aerospace, Window Frame and Woodworking Industries as well as a range of hand woodworking tools. Their website suggests everything is made in Sheffield, but it would be wise to check before purchasing. Robert Sorby make woodworking tools, woodturning tools and woodcarving tools. All Robert Sorby products are made in Sheffield, England. Ashley Ilesmake woodworking tools, woodturning tools and chisels in Lincolnshire, England. Their website suggests everything is made in the UK, but it would be wise to check before purchasing.

Slater Knives(Herbert M. Slater (1853) Ltd.) – http://www.slaterknives.co.uk- are still made in Sheffield (some goods are marked as imported on their website, so obviously not these ones – for example their Machette is imported, as is their tramontina range, some cutlery, knives and bread knives but everything else from Slater is made in the UK) – makers of butchers knives, cooks knives, steels, choppers, forks, s-hooks, skewers, needles, scrapers, scissors, saws, palette knives, fish trade knives, trade knives, pocket knives, sheaf knives, scout knives, Skien Dhu and cutlery. Prices are very reasonable too (you need to add VAT and postage to the prices shown on their website).

For Matchets (machetes) made in the UK at very reasonable prices try Ralph Martindale – http://www.ralphmartindale.co.uk – They have their own steel mill. Search online to find retailers or e-mail the company. Their’s is the genuine “Crocodile” blade and is designed to demands of rural farmers throughout the tropical regions of the world. The handles though are made using German beech wood. Ralph Martindale also make a wide range of other agricultural tools including sharpening files and saws, knives and files (including sugar cane knives, tea pruning knives, tree/cocoa pruners, copra knives and rubber tapping knives), digging and construction tools (spades, forks, shovels, pick axes, wrecking bars, cold chisels, sledge hammers, hammers, hatchets and so on), sickles, sheaths, gardening tools (rakes, shears, hand trowels, hand forks, secateurs and so on), protective clothing and sprayers. The Ralph Martindale Group of Companies also own The Chillington Tool Company who make hoes and forks sold under a variety of brand names and are available online at http://www.chillingtontoolsonline.co.uk where they also sell a variety of other gardening equipment.

For more on tools and garden tools please see my article on tools.

For British made swords, Crisp & Sons swords are made in the UK. Wilkinson Sword no longer make swords and in fact do not make anything in the UK anymore (not even razors and razor blades). I’m not sure who else makes swords in the UK.

The Safety Knife Company Ltdwas founded in 1995 and is based in Gloucester, England. All their Safety Knives are designed & manufactured in the UK. The blades are of Sheffield Steel. They make safety knives for home, industry (including detectable knives), warehouses and rescue, including safety knives ideal as emergency seat belt cutters, together with replacement blades.

Lifeaxeemergency hammers are manufactured in the UK. It should be stressed that it is only the Lifeaxe branded products (i.e. the Lifeaxe Emergency Hammers) that are manufactured in the UK. Everything else on their website is made abroad.

There are other UK made knives and cutlery out there too I think.

http://www.madeinsheffield.orgis a membership organisation that allows their members to use the Made in Sheffield mark. Their website includes a list of members. Members must make some or all of their products in Sheffield. Sheffield made is defined as where ‘goods are deemed to have been manufactured or produced in the country [or city] in which they last underwent a treatment or process resulting in a substantial change’, as per the Trade Descriptions Act 1968. For example simply painting a product before distribution or putting it in a box before distribution or even silver plating before distribution does not make something Sheffield made. A useful website, but of course membership is voluntary and incurs a fee.

My Stanley Knife is made in England, but sadly the company have informed me that their knives are now made in the USA. You can though still get British made blades that fit Stanley knives, for example these ones on e-bay.

Swiss made Swiss Army Knives (SAKs) by Victorinox and Wenger are great, and I have a couple myself, but you can’t beat a traditional British pocket knife.

Spyderco UKPK (Spyderco UK Penknife; Slipits) are nice pocket knives, but made in the USA – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCZEkIi_sms. Perhaps a UK manufacturer might like to make something similar? When you consider the rich heritage of knife making in Great Britain it is somewhat ironic that an American knife company has come up with a modern pocket knife for the UK market. It allows for one handed opening which is a useful feature that makes using a pocket knife much easier, especially when you have your hands full. Spyderco knives are available in the UK from Heinnie Haynes. The UKPK weighs 54 g (1.9 oz), has an overall blade length of 74mm (2.9″), a slightly curved (the kind of curve depends on whether it is a drop point or a leaf shape) cutting edge of 59mm (2.34″) and an overall length 175mm (6.9″) approximately. It also has a pocket clip. Heinnie Haynes also stock a few other British made items, including British made knives, and give excellent customer service.

In fact there are just too many everyday uses for a pocket knife to list here! A more comprehensive list can be found on the Doctor’s for Disaster Preparedness website at http://ddponline.org/knife.pdf

“A well designed, well made knife makes a fantastic tool for a huge number of important tasks. Our knives are highly crafted items aimed at professionals and responsible users who appreciate fine quality.

The nature of a knife as a product makes it necessary for all countries to have their own laws surrounding sale and ownership.

In the UK, it is legal to carry a folding Pocket Knife having a blade with a cutting edge of less than 3 inches (7.62cm) in a public place. All of our Pocket Knives feature blades with cutting edges of less than this length. We would still urge a “common sense” approach as to where and when it might be appropriate to carry a knife.

For any knife with a cutting edge of more than 3 inches, a person must have to have a justifiable reason for carrying one in a public place in the UK. For example a chef carrying his knife set on his way to work would have a justifiable reason for doing so.

Strictly no retail sales to under 18’s.

(The above points are are intended as a guide only and are our opinions based on our understanding of UK law. We do not accept responsibility or liability for these comments. It is your responsibility as a knife owner or reseller to familiarise yourself with, and keep yourself updated on, the relevant laws surrounding knives in your country / state. For proper legal advice you should consult a solicitor. For further reading on the knife law in the UK, please visit these links; Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act 1959, Criminal Justice Act 1988 – Section 139, Offensive Weapons Act 1996, Knives Act 1997)”

There are rules in place at many airports across the world that prevent or restrict the carriage of any knives or scissors in your hand luggage or on your person once past border control. Such items will need to be placed in the hold. Guidance can be found at:

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